Interlocking temporary walls

ABSTRACT

A temporary wall system providing wall panels with peripheral surface mounted roto-locks for linear combinations is provided. Hinged corner posts also, providing the roto-locks, enable selectively orienting wall panels transversely relative to each other. Each wall panel provides an internal strut structure for strengthening the wall panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to temporary wall systems and, moreparticularly, a system of decorative prefinished interlocking temporarywall panels, each wall panel having skeletal framing providingdurability and structurally integrity.

Temporary wall systems are used to reconfigure space through sectioningand partitioning, thereby providing privacy, more efficient use, and/ora more creative presentation of the existing space. However, currentlyavailable devices and/or methods include various disadvantages anddrawbacks, leaving a variety of commercial needs which have not yet beenmet.

One of the disadvantages is that current temporary wall systems aredifficult and time-consuming to assemble or build. Many wall panels ofcurrent temporary wall systems are filled with corrugated cardboard, soit is hard to hang heavy things therefrom, and on cannot run electricitytherethrough. Typical walls have a spline system that does not clamp thewalls together enough to make them rigid. Finally, typical temporarywall systems are unattractive, offering very plain, officepartition-like wall panels.

As can be seen, there is a need for a decorative prefinishedinterlocking temporary wall panels having skeletal framing, whereadjacent wall panels are connecting by way of a rotary lock boltmechanism, or roto-lock, and hinged corner posts for selectivelyorienting two or more wall panels in a transverse orientation relativeto each other.

The roto-lock system of the present invention enables temporaryconfiguration to go together with just one hex wrench—much faster thancurrent temporary wall systems.

The wall panels embodied by the present invention are lightweight yetdurable through an inner strut structure, keeping them substantiallyhollow so electric equipment can be run through them, but sturdy enoughthat a user can hang heavy objects from them. Furthermore, the wallpanels can be bought with custom crates that are seamlessly wheel intoan exhibit room.

Additionally, the wall panels may be prefinished and painted to customcolors. Moreover, wall panels can feature decorative molding for a muchmore distinctive look. Thus, the wall panels can be used in at leastfour different configurations. Again, the internal ribbing makes thewall panels durable and the roto-locking enables set up with no dust ornoise, while each wall panel may provide an external display, whereby alarge beautiful room can be built very quickly in differentconfigurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a wall system includes thefollowing: a plurality of wall panels, each wall panel defined by aplurality of peripheral edges oriented orthogonal relative to a frontsurface and a rear surface opposite the front surface; and at least onemale roto-lock and at least one female roto-lock along at least arespective peripheral edge of the plurality of peripheral edges.

In another aspect of the present invention, the wall system furtherincludes the following: each wall panel having an internal structstructure, wherein the internal struct structure comprises and internalweb having opposing ends; and protrusions extending from each end inopposite directions toward opposing longitudinal peripheral edges of theplurality of peripheral edges, wherein each roto-lock comprises a femalecomponent, a male component, and a service hole disposed along the rearsurface or the front surface, wherein each female component comprises afirst aperture and a second aperture parallel to and spaced apart fromthe first aperture; the first aperture disposed along the respectiveperipheral edge of the plurality of peripheral edges; and the secondaperture disposed along a substrate of said respective peripheral edge;at least one hinged corner post, each hinged corner post interconnectingtwo wall panels of the plurality of wall panels in such a way so thatselectively orienting the two wall panels transversely relative to eachother wherein each hinged corner post having two or more roto-locks.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of adecorative temporary wall panel of the present invention, showing ahinged corner post exploded and the internal struts structure shown indash lines;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a hingedcorner post panel of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of afemale roto-lock component of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, illustrating wall panels aligned at the corners andnot overlapping;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention shown in use, illustrating the decorative temporary wallscreated by combing wall panels and hinged corner posts to create a roomfootprint, wherein the wing wall has an optional spread of 15 degrees ormore relative to the central wall panels;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention shown in use, illustrating the decorative temporary wall withupper wall panels added to the room footprint, wherein 2′×8′ and 4×8′wall panels are combined they make 10′ tall wall segments;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention shown in use, illustrating a traditional arrangement of thedecorative temporary walls that can easily be assembled by two people orconveniently rearranged into other configurations; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, illustrating how the wing walls connect with the hingedcorner posts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a temporarywall system providing wall panels with peripheral surface mountedroto-locks for linear combinations. Hinged corner posts also, providingthe roto-locks, enable selectively orienting wall panels transverselyrelative to each other. Each wall panel provides an internal strutstructure for strengthening the wall panels.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 8, the present invention may include aplurality of dimensioned and shaped wall panels 10, 20, 90 that can becombined in one of a plurality of combinations 40 depending on thefootprint 140, thereby assembling innumerable configurations 160 oftemporary wall systems. Each panel 10, 20, 90 may be generally planarand rectangular, though any shapes, uniform or irregular, as well asnon-planar, can be used as long as the wall panels 10, 20, 90 functionas disclosed herein. Some common wall panels 10, 20, 90 may be two feetby eight feet or for feet by eight feet.

Along a peripheral surface 30 one or more roto-lock components 50, 60may be disposed, typically but not exclusively adjacent an end of theperipheral surface 30. The roto-lock components 50, 60 may include amale component 50 and a female component 60. The female component 60 mayinclude two concentric elongated apertures: a first aperture 190 and asecond aperture 170. The first aperture 190 is superficial relative theoperative surface 110 or 30, while the second aperture 170 issubstantially longitudinally shorter and typically communicates throughto a substrate 192 of the operative surface 110 or 30. In certainembodiments, one or more holes 120 may be disposed within the firstaperture 190 along the interior substrate 192 (exposed by the firstaperture 190), adjacent the second aperture 170, as illustrated in FIG.3.

The male and female components 50 and 60 may provide operativelyassociated service holes 52 and 62, respectively, disposed on a surface70 orthogonal to the operative surface 110 or 30—i.e., the front orrear-facing surface 70. A hex wrench may be inserted into the serviceholes 52 or 62 to turn the latch of the roto-lock, such as but notlimited to a Southco™ R2-0267-02 concealed butt-joint panel fasteningsurface mount latch, locking it to the corresponding female latch. Thecarefully spaced peripheral surface mounted roto-locks 50 and 60 lockthe wall panels 10, 20 together so that the wall panel corners align130, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The wall panels 10 and 20 may be double sided walls constructed from ¼″thick plywood or the like on a 1″×3″ frame having internal struts 180,182 or ribbing. The internal struts 180, 182 may have an internal web180 with opposing protrusions 182 extending from adjacent opposing endsof the internal web 180 toward the longitudinal surfaces 30.

Hinged corner posts 80 enable connecting wall panels 10 and 20transversely relative to each other, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6,thereby defining a so-called wing wall 90 thereto. The hinged cornerpositions 80 may provide roto-lock components 50, 60 spaced apart onoperative surfaces thereof. The operative surfaces may define a L-shape,a V-shape or some other related shapes, so that the transverselyoriented walls 10, 20 and 90 may be selectively pivoted relative to eachother one of various angles of incidents 100, such as fifteen degrees asillustrated in FIG. 5.

The front/rear-facing exterior surfaces 170 may be framed withdecorative molding on one side and plain plywood on the other. Thedecorative wall panels 10, 20 and 90 quickly and easily lock together toform attractive, unique configurations 160 that one or two users 150 canassemble, depending on the footprint 140.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall system, comprising: a plurality of wallpanels, each wall panel defined by a plurality of peripheral edgesoriented orthogonal relative to a front surface and a rear surfaceopposite the front surface; and at least one male roto-lock and at leastone female roto-lock along at least a respective peripheral edge of theplurality of peripheral edges.
 2. The wall system of claim 1, furthercomprising: each wall panel having an internal struct structure.
 3. Thewall system of claim 2, wherein the internal struct structure comprisesand internal web having opposing ends; and protrusions extending fromeach end in opposite directions toward opposing longitudinal peripheraledges of the plurality of peripheral edges.
 4. The wall system of claim3, wherein each roto-lock comprises a female component, a malecomponent, and a service hole disposed along the rear surface or thefront surface.
 5. The wall system of claim 4, wherein each femalecomponent comprises a first aperture and a second aperture parallel toand spaced apart from the first aperture; the first aperture disposedalong the respective peripheral edge of the plurality of peripheraledges; and the second aperture disposed along a substrate of saidrespective peripheral edge.
 6. The wall system of claim 5, furthercomprising: at least one hinged corner post, each hinged corner postinterconnecting two wall panels of the plurality of wall panels in sucha way so that selectively orienting the two wall panels transverselyrelative to each other.
 7. The wall system of claim 6, furthercomprising: each hinged corner post having two or more roto-locks.